Stereolab – Le Boob Oscillator

Despite crafting lo-fi wonderments since 1990 the closest thing Stereolab have come to widespread attention happened when Laetitia Sadier guested on Blur’s ‘To The End’ in 1994. Since the heady early singles Stereolab have increasingly fixated on the notion of music as an experimental noise laboratory with the result that their output has become tougher to penetrate. Following the tragic death of backing singer Mary Hansen the band released ‘Margarine Eclipse’ in 2004 and it was widely regarded as a return to form. ‘Le Boob Oscillator’ can be found on the excellent odds and sods compilation ‘Refried Ectoplasm: Switched On, Vol. 2’ and was a firm John Peel favourite. It’s not difficult to see why as the song boasts all Stereolab’s finer points, the recurring yet alluring drone, Sadier’s sexy vocals and the bands penchant for veering away from the primary route. KD